Children's Horse Competition Clothing
Children's competition clothing is the smart turnout a young rider needs for Pony Club, riding club and local shows – a pale show shirt with a tie or ready-tied stock, competition jodhpurs in cream, champagne or white, and a show jacket in navy, black or tweed. The choices that matter are jacket colour (navy for jumping and dressage, tweed for showing classes), how much growing room you can get away with, and how much to spend on clothes they will outgrow within a season or two. Just Horse Riders stocks children's show shirts, jackets and jodhpurs from brands including Equetech, Aubrion, Ariat and Dublin, from around £6.
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Children's competition clothing advice from the Just Horse Riders team — last reviewed July 2026.
Choosing children's competition clothing
| Choice | What it means |
|---|---|
| Show shirt | A white or pale shirt worn under the jacket. Many junior shirts have an integrated or ready-tied tie, so there is nothing to knot on show morning – worth having for a nervous seven-year-old at 6am. |
| Navy or black jacket | The safe choice for dressage, show jumping and most unaffiliated competitions. If your child only owns one jacket, navy covers the most ground. |
| Tweed jacket | Traditional for showing classes, working hunter and much of Pony Club life. Check-pattern tweeds also hide arena dust better than plain navy. |
| Competition jodhpurs | Cream, champagne, white or canary for the ring; keep darker everyday pairs for schooling so the pale ones stay presentable. |
| Age vs chest sizing | Shirts and jodhpurs usually run by age (3–4 up to 15–16 years) or numbered sizes; jackets are often sized by chest in inches (typically 24″–32″). Measure rather than guess – brands vary. |
Growing room without looking scruffy
Children grow out of competition clothes faster than they wear them out, so it is tempting to buy everything two sizes up. A sensible compromise: go one size up on shirts (the jacket hides it) and be honest about jackets – sleeves flapping past the wrists look untidy in the ring and can catch on reins. Jodhpurs need to fit properly now; baggy knees rub and look worse in a jodhpur boot than anything else in the outfit. Stretch-fabric jackets, such as jersey-style designs from Equetech and Aubrion, forgive a growth spurt better than traditional structured ones.
Keeping pale jodhpurs clean on show day
Put the cream jodhpurs on last, after the pony is groomed, plaited and loaded. Old joggers or over-trousers worn on top until five minutes before the class save most disasters, and a packet of baby wipes deals with the rest. Wash them cool and air dry – most competition jodhpurs are stretch fabric and a hot tumble dryer will shorten their life. If it is a multi-class day, a spare pair in the lorry is cheap insurance.
Children's competition clothing favourites
- Budget finishing touch: Equetech Junior Polka Dot Show Tie (from £6.54) — smartens a plain shirt instantly, in traditional colours like navy, bottle green and maroon.
- Best-value show shirt: Shires Aubrion Childs Short Sleeve Tie Shirt (from £17.10) — built-in tie, all sizes from 3–4 to 13–14 years in stock in white or yellow.
- Competition jodhpurs: Equetech Junior Prima Jodhpurs (from £24.32) — champagne, white, canary, navy and black options at one honest price.
- Big-brand shirt: Ariat Youth Aptos Short Sleeve Show Shirt (from £30.00) — lightweight white shirt from a brand many kids will still want in adult sizes later.
- First show jacket: Dublin Casey Tailored Childs Jacket (from £57.59) — tailored navy or black jacket at a price that stings less when it is outgrown by next season.
- Showing and Pony Club tweed: Shires Saratoga Jacket - Childs (from £97.19) — proper tweed checks in 24″–32″ chest sizes for showing classes and working hunter.
Frequently asked questions
What does my child need for their first Pony Club rally or local show?
For most local shows: a white or pale show shirt with a tie or ready-tied stock, cream or champagne jodhpurs, a navy, black or tweed jacket, and a riding hat that meets the standard named in the schedule. Always check the show schedule or your Pony Club branch first – turnout rules vary, and many rallies only ask for a shirt and jodhpurs, no jacket needed.
Should I buy competition clothes a size up so they last longer?
One size up on shirts is fine – the jacket hides most of it. Jackets and jodhpurs are less forgiving: overlong sleeves look untidy and baggy jodhpurs rub. A practical approach is to spend least on the items outgrown fastest and pick stretch fabrics, which cope with a growth spurt better than structured tailoring.
Navy or tweed – which jacket should we buy first?
If your child mainly does show jumping, dressage or general unaffiliated classes, buy navy – it is accepted almost everywhere. If they do showing classes, working hunter or a lot of Pony Club, tweed is the traditional choice. Plenty of families end up with one of each, but navy is the safer single purchase.
How do I wash cream competition jodhpurs?
Cool machine wash, no fabric softener on grippy seat panels, and air dry rather than tumble dry – most children's competition jodhpurs are stretch fabric and high heat degrades the elastane. Treat grass and hoof-oil marks before washing, and they will stay presentable for as long as the waistband still fits.
Not sure what your child's first show actually requires? Tap the WhatsApp button at the bottom of the screen and the team will talk you through a sensible shopping list.